PREPARING FOR AUTONOMOUS CITY FLEETS

In July 2017 the City and County of San Francisco issued a Request for Information (“RFI”) to companies and academics working in the Autonomous Vehicle (“AV”) space. The RFI was published as part of a study to determine how the City might integrate AVs into its fleet of over 7,000 vehicles.

The City’s Office of Contract Administration and Central Fleet Division prepared a white paper that summarizes insights from the RFI process. The white paper is attached below, and was obtained through a formal sunshine request pursuant to Chapter 67 of the City’s Administrative Code.

Most governments are reactionary by nature: they respond to external events and trends and are slow to engage with new technologies in a proactive manner. This governing approach is increasingly untenable in an era where technologies are rapidly advancing. If American municipalities are serious about solving their mobility problems, they will need to embrace AV technologies in a thoughtful and strategic manner. San Francisco’s white paper provides a high level overview of how this engagement process can be undertaken using City-owned fleets as a starting point.